"Ryan Gosling will star in the romantic comedy "Lars and the Real Girl," which Craig Gillespie will direct for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. The script by Nancy Oliver ("Six Feet Under") focuses on Lars (Gosling), a lonely, delusional young man, and his unconventional relationship with the "girl of his dreams," a lifelike doll he finds on the Internet. Shooting begins in the Fall..." (full details)
"David Strathairn is set to star in "Challenger," a drama about Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman's investigation into the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger that Philip Kaufman ("Quills", "The Right Stuff") will direct from a screenplay by Nicole Perlman. Media 8 Entertainment will sell international rights to the film at the Cannes Film Market..." (full details)
"Revolution Studios has set "Saturday Night Live" star Will Forte and "Arrested Development" alum Will Arnett to star in "Brothers Solomon." The Bob Odenkirk-directed comedy will be distributed by Screen Gems. Forte and Arnett will play socially inept and romantically challenged siblings who are hapless in their quest to fulfill their dying father's wish to have a grandchild. Chi McBride, Malin Akerman and Kristin Wiig co-star. Production begins in June in Los Angeles..." (full details)
"John Malkovich has replaced Ralph Fiennes as the star of "Disgrace," the bigscreen adaptation of J.M. Coetzee's Booker Prize-winning novel. Pic, which will lense this fall, sees Malkovich as a professor of romantic poetry who has an affair with one of his students and is driven into exile. But his new love is tested when the pair become victims of a vicious attack. Film reunites Fortissimo and key elements of Oz drama "La Spagnola," which company repped three years ago. "La Spagnola" writer Anna-Maria Monticelli and director Steve Jacobs will serve those roles again on this Australian-South African co-production..." (full details)
"GreeneStreet's Russell Crowe-starrer "Tenderness" has also landed more cast: Jon Foster ("Door in the Floor") and Sophie Traub ("Daltry Calhoun"). Directed by John Polson ("Hide and Seek"), it starts lensing May 22, and follows Foster as a violent teen whose life intertwines with a 16-year old runaway (Traub). Crowe plays a cop who sets out to unravel Foster's complicated past..." (full details)
"GreeneStreet Films has added Lindsay Lohan to its Aaron Eckhart-starrer "Bill" with Elizabeth Banks is in final talks to join. The film, which is currently in production, follows Eckhart as a man going through a mid-life crisis whose wife has a fling with a local newscaster that's broadcast over the Internet..." (full details)
"Italo helmer Mimmo Calopresti has secured Gerard Depardieu for his new feature "L'invito" (The Invitation). Calopresti's pic revolves around budding Italian filmmakers who go to Cannes seeking a star for their first project. Calopresti will start shooting outtakes for the pic on the Croisette next week. Screenplay is co-penned by Calopresti with Monica Zapelli ("The One Hundred Steps")..." (full details)
